Stadium



July 3, 1934.

V w. A. CANNON STADIUM Filed May 4, 1932 w xwmmxmq Patented July 3, 1934 STADIUM Will Alban Cannon, Niagara Falls, N. Y. Application May 4, 1932, Serial No. 609,232

6 Claims.

This invention relates to certainnew and useful improvements in a concrete and steel stadium stepped seating arrangement and method of forming the same.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of concrete and steel stadium or other seating arrangements, such as balconies or the like wherein the manufacturing costs are greatly reduced by the elimination of .elements without lessening the strength of the stadium or seating structure.-

A further object of the invention resides in a novel method of forming a concrete and steel stadium or the like wherein the permanent frame structure of the stadium constitutes a mold for the pouring of concrete. V 1

It is a further object of the invention to'provide a steel and concrete stadium; wherein steel beams constituting risers have; the head and base por- ;tions of adjacent beams form supports for mold elements whereby concrete treads may be molded in situ with the metallic risers exposed and having seat brackets secured to the risers with the treads;

free of obstructions overtheir entire areas so that a thorough cleaning as bysweeping or washing can be -accomplished.

p A still further object of the invention is to provide a steel andconcretestadium wherein I- beams forming risers ofadjacent treads are con- :nected by tie rods that are adapted to be connected to theI-beams in a manner tocause relative movements of the I-beams for purposes of plac ingthe I-beams in parallel relation and thereafter made rigid with the I-bearns to restrain them from relative movements and to constitute reinforcements for concrete treads molded in situ. I L

' With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is-better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing: V Figure 1 is asectional fragmentaryperspective view of the concrete or steel stadium;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the method of forming the concrete treads in situ.- with the removable mold board at the forwardedge thereof;

. Figure 3 is a detail sectional view showing the mold board removed from the seat bracket attachment clip and the seat bracket attached thereto in lieu thereof;

Figure 4 is adetailsectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3, showing the angle formation of the seat bracket;

Figure 5 shows perspective views of the form boards or steel bars respectively grooved and rabbeted at opposite ends for engagement with adjacent head and base flanges of I-beam frame members and tongued and grooved at their side edges for interconnection; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary and elevational view of the form boards or steel bars on which the concrete tread is poured or laid in situ.

The main frame members 10 of the stadium are formed of I-beams, each comprising a central web 11 having a cross-head including side flanges 12 and 13 and a cross foot including side flanges 14 and 15. The I-beams are arranged in spaced parallel relation with the cross head of one beam in approximately the same plane as the cross foot of the adjacent beam. The double, I-beams are connected together by tie rods 16 arranged in spaced relation with one thereof passed through a web 11 of an adjacent I-beam at a point in proximity of the cross foot as shown in Figure 2 to be anchored thereto by nuts 17 arranged at opposite sides of the web 11 while the other end of the tie rod 16 has an angle end 18 directed downwardly and passing through the flange 13 of the adjacent cross head of the I- beam and anchored thereto by nuts 19 arranged at opposite sides of the flange 13. The I-beams are usually of a length that causes warping or bending thereof in transverse directions and it being essential to present adjacent I-beams in true parallelism, the nuts 17 and 19 upon opposite ends of the tie rods 16 are suitably adjusted on the threaded ends of the tie rods for efiecting relative movements of the I-beams to obtain perfeet alinement thereof. The nuts 17 and 19 are thereafter properly manipulated to hold the I- beams immovable relative to the tie rods and to restrain the I-beams against relative movements.

The seat bracket attachment clip 21 is secured to the outer or forward side of each web 11 of an I-beam and is disposed adjacent the underside of the cross head flange 13, the upper end of the seat bracket attachment clip contacting the flange while the lower end thereof terminates in spaced relation to the flange 15 of the cross foot of the I-beam. The seat bracket attachment clip 21 is of substantially Z-shape and comprises an'angle iron having an edge flange 20 flatly engaged with the web 11 of the I-beam and secured thereto in any suitable manner as by welding or the like, an intermediate portion extending perpendicularly from the web 11 and an outer angle flange 22 projecting at right angles from the intermediate portion of said clip 21.

The method employed in the construction of the concrete and steel stadium or seating structure includes the mounting of form boards or steel bars 23 of the form best illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 upon the flanges 12 and 15 of an adjacent cross head and cross foot. Each form board 23 is rabbeted at one end as at 23c while 1 the opposite end thereof is grooved at at 231). Each form board or steel bar is tongue and grooved at opposite longitudinal side edges thereof as at 24 and 2% respectively. When the form boards or steel bars are engaged with the I-beam 15 flanges 12 and 15, the rabbeted ends 23a of the boards or bars are alternately disposed with respect to the grooved ends 231) of theintermediate boards or bars. The mounting of the boards or bars on the I-beam flanges is accomplished by first positioning the grooved end 232) thereof in engagement with one of the T-iron fianges'and thereafter lowering the rabbeted end 23a into supporting engagement with the other I-beam flange, the boards or bars being then slid toward each other to provide an interlocking connection therebetween by means of the tongue and groove arrangement 24 and 24a. This assembly being. clearly shown in Figures 2 and 6. The form boards completely fill the space between the jfianges 12' and 15 and cooperate with the flanges 13, 12 and 15 to form a support for the concrete tread 25 that is poured or laid thereon in situ. The interlocking connection between the form boards or steel bars presents a rigid con- 5 struction of a monolithic character and the separate boards are incapable of displacement in the presence of wind pressure or other disturbance beforev the concrete has been poured thereon. It is to be understood that other types of form- 49 ing may be employed that may be permanently included in the finished structure or be of a temporary character to facilitate the pouring of the concrete tread.

Nose or mold boards are temporarily associated 5 with the flange 22 of the seat bracket attachment clip and the forward edge of the flange 13 of the I-beam cross-head when pouring the concrete tread and as shown in Figure a nose or mold board 26 is removably bolted as at 2'7 to the outer 5c side of the seat bracket flange attachment clip 22"with the upper horizontal edge of the board 25 extending above the cross-head. A filler nose strip 28 is interposed between the upper end of p the mold board 26 and the adjacent edge of the c scross'head flange l3 and cooperates with the web 11 of the next adjacent I-beam to form a guide or pocket to receive the concrete in the moldingof the tread 25. The upper surface of the concrete tread 25 inclines downwardly to aid in drainage. The tie rods 16 connecting the I- beams serve to secure the concrete parts of the structure firmly to the metal or framing parts and also act as reinforcements for the concrete tread and together with the tread boards constitute a permanent part of the stadium. It is to be understood that other reinforcements, such as rods or mesh may be imbedded in the concrete. After the concrete treads have set, the nose or mold boards strips 26 and 28 are removed from engagement with the seat bracket attachment clip and a metallic seat bracket 29 is substituted therefor and secured by fastening devices 27a as shown inv Figures 1, 3 and 4 to the outer flange 22. of the sheet bracket attachment clips. Angleclips 30 form a part of the seat bracket for the support of spaced seat boards 31.

It will be observed that the usual separator tie bolts employed in stadiums of this general character have been eliminated and tie rods sub stituted therefor that also function as reinforcing elements for the concrete treads for the strengthening of the entire structure and to aline and maintain proper spacing between'the I-beams or frame members 10, the tie rods also anchoring the concrete parts to the form board ends and ribs greatly facilitates the mounting of the boards on adjacent flanges of the I-beams while the seat bracket attachment clips forming a temporary support for the nose or mold boards may be made of a detachable form in the pouring of the concrete treads.

While there" is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

1. In a steel and concrete stadium, steel risers of I-beam formation with the head flange of one beam approximately in the plane of the base flange of an adjacent beam, a concrete tread molded in situ between said head and base flanges and tie rods extending between the head flange of one beam and the web of the adjacent beam for connecting the beams together and embedded in the concrete treads for anchoring the treads to the beams with the major portions of the webs of the I-beams being exposed.

2. In a steel and concrete'stadium, steel risers of I-beam formation with the head flange of one beam approximately in the plane of the base flange of an adjacent beam, aconcrete tread molded in situ between saidhead'and base flanges and tie rods extending between the head'flange of one beam and the web of theadjacent beam for connecting the beams together and embedded in the concrete treads for anchoring the treads to the beams withthe major portions of the webs of the I-beams being exposed, and seat brackets 120 secured to the risers forwardly of the front edges of the treads whereby the treads are free of obstructions over the entire tread surfaces to facilitate cleaning of the'trad's.

3. In a steel and concrete stadium, metallic tread supporting beams arranged in spaced relations with the head of one beam'in approximately the plane 'of the foot 'of the adjacent beam, tie rods connected to the head of one beam and web of an adjacent beam, means on the ends of 139 the tie rods and engageable with the beams for effecting relative movements of the beams to move them into parallelism and thereafter op,- erated for rigidly anchoring the beams against relative movements, a concrete tread molded in situ between the headand' foot of adjacent beams with the tie rods"constituting reinforcements therefor and with a portion of each metallic beam exposed.

4. In a steel and concrete stadium, metallic tread supporting" beams arranged in spaced relations with thehead of one beam in approximately the plane" of the foot of the adjacent beam, tie rods connected to thehead of one beam and web of an adjacent beam, means on the ends of the tie rods and engageable with the beams for effecting relative movements of the beams to move them into parallelism and thereafter op erated for rigidly anchoring the beams against relative movements, a concrete tread molded in situ between the head and foot of adjacent beams with the tie rods constituting reinforcements therefor and with a portion of each metallic beam exposed, and seat brackets secured to the exposed metallic beams forwardly of the front edges of the treads whereby the treads are free of obstructions over the entire tread surfaces to facilitate cleaning of the treads.

5. In a steel and concrete stadium, steel risers of I-beam formation with the head flange of one beam approximately in the plane of the base flange of an adjacent beam, a tie rod having an angle and extending downwardly through the head flange with its other end extending through the web of the adjacent beam, adjustable means on each end of the tie rod respectively at opposite sides of the flange and the web and adapted to be operated for relatively moving adjacent beams to place them in parallelism, and a concrete tread molded in situ between said head and base flanges with the tie rods embedded therein. 6. In a steel and concrete stadium, steel risers of I-beam formation with the head flange of one beam approximately in the plane of the base flange of an adjacent beam, a tie rod having an angle end extending downwardly through the head flange with its other end extending through the web of the adjacent beam, adjustable means on each end of the tie rod respectively at opposite sides of the flange and web and adapted to be operated for relatively moving adjacent beams to place them in parallelism, and a concrete tread molded in situ between said head and base flanges with the tie rods embedded therein and seat brackets secured to the exposed I-beams forwardly of the front edges of the treads whereby the treads are free of obstructions over the entire tread surfaces to facilitate cleaning of the treads.

WILL ALBAN CANNON. 

